Marco Bezzecchi
Yamaha have been urged to dial up the horsepower of their V4 MotoGP engine even at the risk of failures.
The M1 riders were more vulnerable than ever on the long back straight at Austin last time out as they filled out the bottom four spots in the order. The two Yamaha teams have only scored 10 points combined so far.
This is Yamaha’s first season with the V4 engine after they abandoned their inline four at the end of last year. The team repeatedly warned that the development process would be long and occasionally painful.
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Neil Hodgson urges Yamaha to ‘cut corners’ with V4 engine development
Speaking on the Gas it Out podcast, Neil Hodgson suggested that Yamaha still aren’t running their engine at full power in order to improve reliability. The factory team haven’t yet had a DNF this year.
However, Hodgson says it’s worth taking more risks to accelerate development. Yamaha face pit-lane starts if they exceed the limit of 10 engines per rider, but they’re likely to qualify near the back regardless.
To varying degrees, all four Yamaha riders have expressed frustration with the bike’s lack of competitiveness, though it may be that Toprak Razgatlioglu is the only one who stays for 2027.
Will Jorge Martin regret leaving Aprilia to join Yamaha?
Hodgson said: “I genuinely think this. Would they not be better just blowing up engines? As it stands, their V4 is slower than the inline four. The inline four was probably, on average, 5kph down. This is closer to 10.
“If they start blowing up engines, Dorna aren’t going to say all of a sudden, ‘That’s it now, you can’t race anymore.’ They might have to start at the back of the grid, but they’re at the back of the grid anyway. They’re battling for last.
“I totally respect the theory behind it, but the racer brain says, ‘Just start cutting corners a little bit and let’s put some more horsepower in.'”
The latest on Yamaha’s 2027 bike development
Former team boss Davide Brivio, now at Trackhouse, suspects Yamaha are prioritising 2027. After a year of ‘transition’, they may introduce ‘the real’ V4 next year.
Surprisingly, Jorge Martin didn’t sound confident about Yamaha’s prospects in a recent interview. Martin has reportedly signed for the Japanese manufacturer even though they are at the opposite end of the pecking order to Aprilia.
Massimo Meregalli says Yamaha have been working on their 2027 bike since the autumn of last year. An early prototype has already been on track in Malaysia.
With little to fight for this year, they can afford to place more emphasis on the upcoming rule changes than anybody else.
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